Position determination method of charging terminal, charging host, charging terminal and system

Abstract

The application provides a charging terminal position determination method, a charging host, a charging terminal and a system, relates to the technical field of energy, and is used for improving the accuracy of position determination of the charging terminal, thereby reducing the debugging period of the charging terminal in the later stage and saving the debugging time. The method is applied to a charging host, the charging host supports wireless communication or power line communication with a plurality of charging terminals, and the method comprises the following steps: a plurality of first ranging signals are respectively sent to the plurality of charging terminals; a plurality of second ranging signals from the plurality of charging terminals are received, the plurality of second ranging signals correspond to the plurality of first ranging signals one by one; first position information of the plurality of charging terminals is determined according to the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal corresponding to the same charging terminal in the plurality of charging terminals are used for determining the first position information of the charging terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of energy technology, and in particular to a method for determining the location of a charging terminal, a charging host, a charging terminal, and a system. Background Technology

[0002] Charging stations are facilities that provide electrical energy to electric vehicles, including charging units and charging terminals. The charging unit converts AC power supplied by the grid or generator into DC power, and further converts this DC power into suitable DC voltage and current so that the charging terminals can supply power to the electric vehicles. Currently, power transmission between the charging unit and the charging terminals is generally achieved via power lines, and control and feedback information are transmitted using industrial Ethernet cables or a controller area network (CAN) bus.

[0003] To facilitate timely location of charging terminal malfunctions, it is necessary to identify the positional relationships between charging terminals. Current technologies typically require assigning a DIP switch number to each charging terminal and then using an Ethernet or CAN ring network to add node information of the passing charging terminals during data transmission, thereby achieving positional relationship identification. However, the DIP switches used for numbering are small, requiring specialized DIP switch equipment for operation, resulting in a high probability of misoperation and a prolonged subsequent debugging period for the charging terminals. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method for determining the location of a charging terminal, a charging host, a charging terminal, and a system, which improves the accuracy of determining the location of the charging terminal, thereby reducing the subsequent debugging cycle and saving debugging time.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for determining the location of a charging terminal is provided, applied to a charging host, which supports wireless communication or power line communication with multiple charging terminals. The method includes: sending multiple first ranging signals to the multiple charging terminals respectively; receiving multiple second ranging signals from the multiple charging terminals, wherein the multiple second ranging signals correspond one-to-one with the multiple first ranging signals; and determining first location information of the multiple charging terminals based on the multiple first ranging signals and the multiple second ranging signals; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal corresponding to the same charging terminal among the multiple charging terminals are used to determine the first location information of the charging terminal.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the charging host and the charging terminal support wireless communication or power line communication. This eliminates the need for Ethernet or CAN bus cabling during the initial construction of the charging station, reducing the need for trenching and laying communication lines and improving the construction efficiency of the charging station. Since no communication lines need to be laid, when determining the location of the charging terminal, the charging host sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals and receives multiple second ranging signals from multiple charging terminals. Based on these multiple first and second ranging signals, the first location information of multiple charging terminals is determined. Thus, compared with existing technologies, the charging terminal location determination method provided in this application does not require dialing and numbering of the charging terminals, eliminating tedious manual dialing operations and avoiding problems caused by human error. Furthermore, when a charging terminal malfunctions, the method provided in this application can quickly determine the location of each charging terminal, thereby locating and repairing the faulty charging terminal. This reduces the fault location time for maintenance personnel to a certain extent, shortens the debugging cycle of the charging terminal, and saves debugging time.

[0008] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: determining first location information of the plurality of charging terminals based on the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals, as well as the layout information of the plurality of charging terminals. In the above possible implementation, the layout information can be the orientation relationship between the charging host and the plurality of charging terminals, such as the arrangement of the charging host and the plurality of charging terminals. Based on the less accurate layout information, combining the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals can determine more accurate first location information. When a charging terminal malfunctions, this method can also assist maintenance personnel in quickly determining the location of each charging terminal, thereby locating and repairing the faulty charging terminal, reducing the fault location time for maintenance personnel to a certain extent, shortening the debugging cycle of the charging terminal, and saving debugging time.

[0009] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the plurality of charging terminals includes a first charging terminal and a second charging terminal. The method further includes sending indication information to the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal, the indication information being used to indicate the measurement of the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal. In the above possible implementation, the charging host can instruct any two of the plurality of charging terminals to perform distance measurement. If the indication information instructs the first charging terminal to initiate the measurement and measure the distance with the second charging terminal, it indicates that the charging host sends indication distance measurement information to the first charging terminal and indication response information to the second charging terminal. The indication distance measurement information is used to instruct the first charging terminal to send a third distance measurement signal to the second charging terminal, and the indication response information is used to instruct the second charging terminal to receive the third distance measurement signal. The indication distance measurement information is also used to instruct the first charging terminal to report the distance information between itself and the second charging terminal to the charging host after receiving a fourth distance measurement signal from the second charging terminal. For example, if the indication information instructs the second charging terminal to measure the distance between itself and the first charging terminal, it means that the charging host sends an indication distance measurement information to the second charging terminal and an indication response information to the first charging terminal. The indication distance measurement information instructs the second charging terminal to send a third distance measurement signal to the first charging terminal, and the indication response information instructs the first charging terminal to receive the third distance measurement signal. The indication distance measurement information also instructs the second charging terminal to report the distance information between itself and the first charging terminal to the charging host after receiving the fourth distance measurement signal from the first charging terminal. In this way, combining the distance between the two charging terminals can further improve the accuracy of the charging terminal location information. When a charging terminal malfunctions, it can also assist maintenance personnel in quickly determining the location of each charging terminal, thereby locating and repairing the faulty charging terminal. This reduces the fault location time for maintenance personnel to a certain extent, shortens the debugging cycle of the charging terminals, and saves debugging time.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: acquiring distance information between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal; and determining second location information of the plurality of charging terminals based on the first location information of the plurality of charging terminals and the distance information. In the above possible implementation, the charging host can determine the second location information of the plurality of charging terminals with higher accuracy based on the first location information and the distance information between the charging terminals. When a charging terminal malfunctions, it can also assist maintenance personnel in quickly determining the location of each charging terminal, thereby locating and repairing the faulty charging terminal. This reduces the fault location time for maintenance personnel to a certain extent, shortens the debugging cycle of the charging terminal, and saves debugging time.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: associating the location information of the multiple charging terminals with the device information of the multiple charging terminals. In the above possible implementation, after associating the device information and location information of the same charging terminal, a QR code can be generated. Maintenance personnel can scan the QR code to query information such as the location number, device status, or error code of each charging terminal, assisting them in confirming the location information of each charging terminal. This allows for rapid location of faulty devices when a fault is detected, reducing the debugging cycle and saving debugging time.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the wireless communication method includes at least one of the following communication methods: wireless fidelity communication, Bluetooth communication, Starlight short-range wireless communication, ultra-wideband wireless carrier communication, or Purple Bee communication.

[0013] Secondly, a method for determining the location of a charging terminal is provided, applied to a first charging terminal, wherein the first charging terminal and a charging host support wireless communication or power line communication, the method comprising: receiving a first ranging signal from the charging host; sending a second ranging signal to the charging host; wherein the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are used to determine first location information of the first charging terminal.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the charging host also supports wireless communication or power line communication with the second charging terminal, and the method further includes: receiving indication information from the charging host, the indication information being used to indicate the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal; and measuring the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal according to the indication information.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the second aspect, the wireless communication method includes at least one of the following communication methods: wireless fidelity communication, Bluetooth communication, Starlight short-range wireless communication, ultra-wideband wireless carrier communication, or Purple Bee communication.

[0016] Thirdly, a location determination device for a charging terminal is provided. This device can realize the functions performed by the charging host in the above method. The device includes: a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit are used to support communication between the device and multiple charging terminals.

[0017] Fourthly, a location determination device for a charging terminal is provided. This device can realize the functions performed by the first charging terminal in the above method. The device includes: a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit are used to support communication between the device and the charging host.

[0018] Fifthly, a charging host is provided, the charging host including: processing circuitry and communication interface, the communication interface and the processing circuitry being configured to support the charging host in performing the methods provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, a charging terminal is provided, the charging terminal comprising: a processing circuit and a communication interface, the communication interface and the processing circuit being configured to support the charging terminal in performing the methods provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0020] In a seventh aspect, a charging system is provided, the charging system including a charging host and a plurality of charging terminals, the charging system being used to perform the method provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and the charging terminals being used to perform the method provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0021] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a device, cause the device to perform the method for determining the location of a charging terminal provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the method provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0022] Ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including a computer program that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method for determining the location of a charging terminal provided by the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the method provided by the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0023] It is understood that the beneficial effects of other aspects besides the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect can be referred to in the same way as the beneficial effects of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle charging scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2A schematic diagram illustrating the process of dialing numbering provided in this application embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a ring network structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a charging system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining the location of a charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the layout of a charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another method for determining the location of a charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the location determination of a charging terminal according to an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 9 A fault scanning diagram of a charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a charging host provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another charging host provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following sections will discuss the fabrication and use of various embodiments in detail. However, it should be understood that many applicable inventive concepts provided in this application can be implemented in a variety of specific environments. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways of implementing and using this application and technology, and do not limit the scope of this application.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0039] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, a, b, and c; where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0040] The embodiments of this application use terms such as "first" and "second" to distinguish objects with similar names, functions, or roles. Those skilled in the art will understand that terms such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order.

[0041] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0042] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, the background technology involved in this application will be introduced first.

[0043] With the development of new energy vehicle technology, electric vehicles driven by electric power have become the choice of many users due to their energy saving and environmental protection. Correspondingly, the number of charging stations that provide power for electric vehicles is also gradually increasing. Figure 1 This illustrates a scenario of charging an electric vehicle, such as... Figure 1As shown, the charging station is equipped with multiple charging devices, including a charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320. The charging host 310 and the charging terminals 320 can be collectively referred to as charging equipment, and the charging terminal 320 can also be referred to as a charging pile. A power grid 100 or a generator is used to connect to the charging host 310, and the charging host 310 is used to connect to each charging terminal 320. The charging host 310 is used to convert the AC input from the power grid 100 or the generator into DC power, and then converts the DC power into a suitable DC voltage and DC current before transmitting it to the charging terminal. The charging terminal 320 is used to connect to an electric vehicle 200 through a charging gun, providing the electric vehicle 200 with a suitable DC voltage and DC current to charge the electric vehicle 200. The electric vehicle 200 can be a pure electric vehicle (pure EV / battery EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), etc.

[0044] For example, the charging host 310 includes a controller, an AC-DC converter, and / or a DC-DC converter. The controller controls the operation of the AC-DC converter and / or the DC-DC converter. The AC-DC converter converts AC power supplied by the grid or generator into DC power, and the DC-DC converter converts the DC power into a suitable DC voltage and current. The charging terminal 320 includes a housing, a human-machine interface, a charging control unit, and a metering and billing unit, etc., for information interaction, energy transfer, and metering and billing with the electric vehicle 200.

[0045] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, the charging host 310 and the charging terminal 320 typically transmit electrical energy via a power line and transmit control information, feedback information, and other information via a communication line. The communication line can be an industrial Ethernet cable or a CAN bus. It should be noted that, for ease of understanding, Figure 1 In this diagram, power lines are represented by curves, and communication lines by straight lines. By adding node information during information transmission via Ethernet or CAN bus, the location of the charging terminal 320 can be identified, enabling the location and repair of the faulty charging terminal 320 in case of a malfunction.

[0046] In specific implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, each charging terminal 320 needs to be assigned a DIP switch number. For example, each charging terminal 320 can be numbered using binary numbers, such as #001, #010, #011, #100, etc. The numbering of the charging terminal 320 is not used to indicate the distance between the charging terminal 320 and the charging host 310. Figure 3 As shown, the node information of the charging terminal 320 that passes through is added to the information transmission using an Ethernet ring network or a CAN ring network to identify the relative positional relationship between the charging terminal 320 and the charging host 310. Figure 3 Examples (a) and (b) illustrate the ring network structure of a CAN bus and an Ethernet cable, respectively. Figure 3 As shown in (a), the CAN bus is connected end-to-end to form a ring. This ring network structure uses a distributed impedance matching method, that is, matching resistors (e.g., R, Rct1~Rct10) are connected between the communication lines to improve the anti-interference capability of the CAN bus. Figure 3 As shown in (b), the Ethernet cable connects the charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320 in series before connecting them to the charging host 310, forming a ring. In this way, when the charging host 310 transmits information along the Ethernet ring network or CAN ring network, the relative positions of each charging terminal 320 can be identified by adding the node information of the charging terminals 320 it passes through.

[0047] However, the aforementioned technical solutions rely on wired networking. During the initial construction of charging stations, wiring design and underground installation of Ethernet cables or CAN buses are required. Furthermore, since the construction conditions at each charging station vary, the RJ45 connectors of the Ethernet cables need to be crimped on-site, extending the Ethernet cable debugging cycle and increasing the overall construction period. Additionally, the small size of the DIP switches necessitates the use of specialized DIP switch equipment, making operation cumbersome and complex, and increasing the probability of misoperation. Moreover, the underground installation of Ethernet cables or CAN buses also increases the difficulty of later debugging of the charging terminal 320.

[0048] In view of this, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a method for determining the location of a charging terminal 320. It is understood that this location determination method can be applied not only to... Figure 4 The charging system 300 shown is used to determine the location of the charging terminal 320. It can also be applied to photovoltaic systems, for example, to determine the location of a photovoltaic optimizer. This application does not specifically limit this application.

[0049] This application uses the method applied to a charging system 300 as an example for illustration. Figure 4As shown, the charging system 300 includes a charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320. The charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320 support wireless communication or power line communication (PLC). In one possible embodiment, the charging host 310 and the charging terminals 320 are provided with a communication module, which is used to realize wireless communication or power line communication between the charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320.

[0050] In one example, when wireless communication is supported between the charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320, communication can be conducted through at least one of the following communication methods: wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, NearLink, ultra-wideband (UWB), or Zigbee. NearLink, which can be abbreviated as NearLink communication, includes both super low bandwidth (SLB) and super low energy (SLE) operating modes.

[0051] In another example, when powerline communication is supported between the charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320, communication can be achieved through at least one of the following powerline communication protocols: HomePlug Powerline Alliance (HomePlug AV / AV2), Third Generation Powerline Communication Protocol (G3-PLC), Powerline Network Transmission Communication Standard (IEEE 1901), Powerline Intelligent Metering Evolution (PRIME), Dutch Smart Meter Requirements (DSMR), Smart Home Powerline Carrier Protocol (X10), etc.

[0052] In one possible embodiment, when power line communication is supported between the charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320, the communication module is a power line communication module. A wireless ranging module is also provided in both the charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320. This wireless ranging module is used to measure the distance between the charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320, or to measure the distance between any two charging terminals 320. This wireless ranging module can support at least one of the following wireless ranging protocols: Bluetooth, Starlight (including SLE), or UWB.

[0053] When the charging host 310 supports wireless communication with multiple charging terminals 320, the communication module is a wireless communication module. The wireless ranging module and the wireless communication module can be the same module, that is, the wireless communication module has both communication and ranging functions.

[0054] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining the location of a charging terminal provided in an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to... Figure 4 The charging system 300 shown herein. The method includes the following steps.

[0055] S401: The charging host sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals respectively.

[0056] The plurality of first ranging signals can correspond one-to-one with the number of the plurality of charging terminals, and the charging host can send a corresponding first ranging signal to each of the plurality of charging terminals. The first ranging signal can be sent by the communication module in the charging host or by the wireless ranging module in the charging host. The first ranging signal can be transmitted via power line transmission or wireless communication, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit it in this way.

[0057] In one possible embodiment, before the charging host sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals, the multiple charging terminals can communicate with the charging host through their own communication modules and report their communication address and serial number (SN) to the charging host. The communication address includes either an IP address or a MAC address. After reporting, the charging host can send a ranging preparation signal to each of the multiple charging terminals, which notifies the multiple charging terminals to prepare for ranging.

[0058] S402: The first charging terminal receives the first ranging signal from the charging host.

[0059] The first charging terminal can be any one of the aforementioned multiple charging terminals. The first charging terminal can receive the first ranging signal through its own communication module or through the aforementioned wireless ranging module.

[0060] S403: The first charging terminal sends a second ranging signal to the charging host.

[0061] After receiving the first ranging signal from the charging host, the first charging terminal can send a corresponding second ranging signal to the charging host according to the current wireless ranging protocol. This second ranging signal is the response signal sent by the first charging terminal to the charging host.

[0062] In one example, the charging host can first send a first ranging signal to the first charging terminal and receive a second ranging signal from the first charging terminal. At this time, the second ranging signal is a response signal reported by the first charging terminal.

[0063] In another example, the charging host can first send a second ranging signal to the first charging terminal and receive a first ranging signal from the first charging terminal. In this case, the first ranging signal is a response signal reported by the first charging terminal.

[0064] As an example and not a limitation, this application embodiment uses the example of the charging host first sending a first ranging signal and receiving a second ranging signal from the first charging terminal for illustration.

[0065] For example, when Bluetooth communication is supported between the charging host and the charging terminal, the charging host sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals based on the Bluetooth communication protocol. After receiving the first ranging signal, the first charging terminal among the multiple charging terminals also sends a second ranging signal to the charging host based on the Bluetooth communication protocol.

[0066] For example, when the charging host and the charging terminal support StarScan communication, the charging host sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals based on the StarScan communication protocol. After receiving the first ranging signal, the first charging terminal among the multiple charging terminals also sends a second ranging signal to the charging host based on the StarScan communication protocol.

[0067] S404: The charging host receives multiple second ranging signals from the multiple charging terminals, and the multiple second ranging signals correspond one-to-one with the multiple first ranging signals.

[0068] As mentioned above, the number of first ranging signals corresponds one-to-one with the number of charging terminals. After receiving the corresponding first ranging signal, each charging terminal sends a second ranging signal to the charging host based on the first ranging signal. That is, the number of first ranging signals sent by the charging host matches the number of second ranging signals received.

[0069] S405: Determine the first location information of the plurality of charging terminals based on the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals; wherein, the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal corresponding to the same charging terminal among the plurality of charging terminals are used to determine the first location information of the charging terminal.

[0070] For ease of description, the following example uses the same charging terminal as the first charging terminal mentioned above and supporting Bluetooth communication to introduce the process of determining the first location information of the first charging terminal based on the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal.

[0071] For example, the charging host sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals based on the Bluetooth communication protocol. Upon receiving the first ranging signal, the first charging terminal also sends a second ranging signal to the charging host based on the Bluetooth communication protocol. The charging host can calculate the distance between the first charging terminal and the charging host based on the signal strength of the received second ranging signal.

[0072] For example, the charging host can also calculate the distance between the first charging terminal and the charging host based on the phase difference between the signal phase of the received second ranging signal and the signal phase of the first ranging signal.

[0073] In this embodiment, the charging host 310 and the charging terminal 320 support wireless communication or power line communication. This eliminates the need for Ethernet or CAN bus cabling during the initial construction of the charging station, reducing the need for trenching and laying communication lines and improving construction efficiency. Since no communication lines need to be laid, when determining the location of the charging terminals, the charging host 310 sends multiple first ranging signals to multiple charging terminals 320 and receives multiple second ranging signals from multiple charging terminals 320. Based on these first and second ranging signals, the first location information of the multiple charging terminals 320 can be determined. Therefore, compared with existing technologies, the charging terminal location determination method provided in this embodiment does not require dialing codes for the charging terminals 320, eliminating tedious manual dialing operations and avoiding problems caused by human error. Furthermore, when a charging terminal malfunctions, the location of each charging terminal can be quickly determined according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, thereby locating and repairing the malfunctioning charging terminal, which to a certain extent reduces the fault location time for maintenance personnel, reduces the debugging cycle of the charging terminal, and saves debugging time.

[0074] Furthermore, step S405 above also includes: determining the first position information of the plurality of charging terminals based on the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals, as well as the layout information of the plurality of charging terminals.

[0075] This layout information can indicate the positional relationship between the charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320, such as the arrangement of the charging host 310 and the multiple charging terminals 320. For example, such as... Figure 6 As shown in (a), the charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320 are arranged in a straight line, and these multiple charging terminals 320 are charging pile #1, charging pile #2, charging pile #3, and charging pile #4, respectively. Figure 6As shown in (b), the charging host 310 and multiple charging terminals 320 are arranged in an L-shape. Charging pile #1 is located in front of the charging host 310, and charging piles #2, #3, and #4 are arranged sequentially to the right of the charging host 310. That is, charging pile #1 is not in a straight line with the other three charging piles. For example, this layout information can be pre-stored in the charging host 310 or in other terminal devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, or wearable devices. The terminal device supports wireless communication with the charging host 310.

[0076] Furthermore, the accuracy of this layout information is less than that of the first location information. This layout information is only used to indicate the orientational relationship between the plurality of charging terminals 320 and the charging host 310, while the first location information can not only indicate the orientational relationship, but also the distance information between the plurality of charging terminals and the charging host 310.

[0077] In one possible embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown in (b), charging pile #1 is not on a straight line with the other three charging piles. The distance between charging pile #1 and the charging host 310, and the distance between charging pile #2 and the charging host 310, may be equal or unequal. To further determine the location information of the plurality of charging terminals 320, this application embodiment also provides another method for determining the location of the charging terminals, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the method includes steps S501 to S505.

[0078] S501: The charging host sends an instruction message to the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal; wherein the instruction message is used to indicate the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal.

[0079] S502: The first charging terminal and the second charging terminal receive instruction information.

[0080] For ease of description, this application embodiment uses a first charging terminal and a second charging terminal among the plurality of charging terminals as an example to illustrate the ranging process between the two charging terminals in detail. As mentioned above, the first charging terminal is any one of the plurality of charging terminals, and the second charging terminal is any one of the plurality of charging terminals other than the first charging terminal. For example, the second charging terminal is... Figure 6 The charging pile #2 shown in (b) has a first charging terminal as follows: Figure 6 Charging pile #1 shown in (b)

[0081] The instruction information can instruct the first charging terminal to measure the distance between itself and the second charging terminal, or instruct the second charging terminal to measure the distance between itself and the first charging terminal.

[0082] For example, if the indication information instructs the first charging terminal to measure the distance between itself and the second charging terminal as the measurement initiator, it means that the charging host 310 sends the indication distance measurement information to the first charging terminal and the indication response information to the second charging terminal. The indication distance measurement information is used to instruct the first charging terminal to send a third distance measurement signal to the second charging terminal, and the indication response information is used to instruct the second charging terminal to receive the third distance measurement signal. The indication distance measurement information is also used to instruct the first charging terminal to report the distance information between itself and the second charging terminal to the charging host 310 after receiving the fourth distance measurement signal replied by the second charging terminal.

[0083] For example, if the indication information instructs the second charging terminal to measure the distance between itself and the first charging terminal as the initiator of the measurement, it means that the charging host 310 sends the indication distance measurement information to the second charging terminal and the indication response information to the first charging terminal. The indication distance measurement information is used to instruct the second charging terminal to send a third distance measurement signal to the first charging terminal, and the indication response information is used to instruct the first charging terminal to receive the third distance measurement signal. The indication distance measurement information is also used to instruct the second charging terminal to report the distance information between itself and the first charging terminal to the charging host 310 after receiving the fourth distance measurement signal replied by the first charging terminal.

[0084] In one embodiment, to avoid conflicts when measuring distances between multiple charging terminals, the charging terminal with the larger SN number can be selected as the first ranging signal transmitter, and the charging terminal with the smaller SN number can be selected as the measuring signal receiver, based on the relationship between their SN numbers. For example, when measuring distances between three charging terminals in pairs, if the SN numbers of the three charging terminals are SN1, SN2, and SN3, and SN1 < SN2 < SN3, for ease of description, the charging terminal with SN3 will be simply referred to as SN3, the charging terminal with SN2 as SN2, and the charging terminal with SN1 as SN1. During measurement, the distance between SN3 and SN2 can be measured by SN3, the distance between SN3 and SN1 can be measured by SN3, and the distance between SN2 and SN1 can be measured by SN2.

[0085] As an example and not a limitation, this application embodiment uses the measurement of the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal as an example for illustration, including the following steps S503a to S503f.

[0086] S503a: The first charging terminal sends a third ranging signal to the second charging terminal.

[0087] S503b: The second charging terminal receives the third ranging signal.

[0088] S503c: The second charging terminal sends a fourth ranging signal to the first charging terminal.

[0089] S503d: The first charging terminal receives the fourth ranging signal.

[0090] S503f: The first charging terminal sends distance information to the charging host.

[0091] The fourth ranging signal is a response signal to the third ranging signal, and this distance information is used to indicate the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal.

[0092] The above description only uses the example of the charging host instructing the first charging terminal to send a first ranging signal and instructing the second charging terminal to receive the first ranging signal. If the charging host instructs the second charging terminal to send a first ranging signal and instructs the first charging terminal to receive the first ranging signal, it includes the following steps S503aa to S503ff.

[0093] S503aa: The second charging terminal sends a third ranging signal to the first charging terminal.

[0094] S503bb: The first charging terminal receives the third ranging signal.

[0095] S503cc: The first charging terminal sends a fourth ranging signal to the second charging terminal.

[0096] S503dd: The second charging terminal receives the fourth ranging signal.

[0097] S503ff: The second charging terminal sends distance information to the charging host.

[0098] The distance measurement method between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal is similar to the distance measurement method between the charging host and the first charging terminal, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0099] S504: The charging host receives the distance information between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal.

[0100] S505: Determine the second location information of multiple charging terminals based on the first location information and distance information of multiple charging terminals.

[0101] The accuracy of the first location information is less than that of the second location information. The first location information is used to indicate the distance relationship between the charging terminal and the charging host. By combining the distance information between the multiple charging terminals, the second location information of the multiple charging terminals with higher accuracy can be determined.

[0102] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the location determination of a charging terminal, as provided in an embodiment of this application.Figure 8 This example illustrates how layout information can be pre-stored on a mobile device. Figure 8 As shown, on the mobile phone, "M" represents the charging host 310, and the numbers "1", "2", "3", and "4" represent charging pile #1, charging pile #2, charging pile #3, and charging pile #4, respectively.

[0103] like Figure 8 As shown in (a), the layout information indicates that the charging host 310 and charging piles #1, #2, #3, and #4 are arranged in a straight line. The charging host 310 determines the first positional relationship between each charging pile and the charging host 310 based on the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals, combined with the layout information stored on the mobile phone. For example, charging pile #1 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between them is 2m; charging pile #2 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between them is 4m; charging pile #3 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between them is 6m; charging pile #4 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between them is 8m.

[0104] like Figure 8 As shown in (b), the layout information indicates that the charging host 310 and charging piles #1, #2, #3, and #4 are arranged in an L-shape. The charging host 310 determines the second positional relationship of the multiple charging piles based on the first position information and distance information of the multiple charging terminals, combined with the layout information stored on the mobile phone. For example, charging pile #1 is located in front of the charging host 310, and the distance between it and the charging host 310 is 2m; charging pile #2 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between it and the charging host 310 is 2m and 2.8m; charging pile #3 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between it and the charging host 310 is 4m and 4.5m; charging pile #4 is located to the right of the charging host 310, and the distance between it and the charging host 310 is 6m and 6.4m.

[0105] In one embodiment, after determining the first location information and / or second location information of multiple charging terminals, the method provided in this application further includes:

[0106] S406: Associate the location information of the multiple charging terminals with the device information of the multiple charging terminals.

[0107] The device information may include one or more of the following: the communication protocol version number of the charging terminal, the serial number of the charging terminal, the IP address of the charging terminal, the MAC address of the charging terminal, the highest output voltage of the charging terminal, the lowest output voltage of the charging terminal, the maximum output current of the charging terminal, and the minimum output current of the charging terminal.

[0108] Optionally, after associating the device information and location information of the same charging terminal, a QR code can be generated and affixed to each corresponding charging terminal. For example... Figure 9 As shown, after scanning the QR code with a mobile phone, users can query information such as the location number, IP address, MAC address, device status, and error code of each charging terminal, which helps maintenance personnel quickly identify the fault information of faulty devices.

[0109] The above mainly describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of the interaction between the charging host and the charging terminal, and between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the charging host and the charging terminal include corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0110] This application embodiment can divide the charging host and charging terminal into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of functional modules according to each function as an example.

[0111] When using integrated units, Figure 10A schematic diagram of a charging terminal location determination device according to the above embodiments is shown. This device implements the functions performed by the charging host in the above method embodiments. The device includes: a transmitting unit 601, a receiving unit 602, and a processing unit 603. The processing unit 603 is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method embodiments; the transmitting unit 601 and the receiving unit 602 are used to support communication between the device and multiple charging terminals. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0112] Based on hardware implementation, the processing unit 603 in this embodiment can be the processing circuit of the charging host, the transmitting unit 601 can be the transmitter of the charging host, and the receiving unit 602 can be the receiver of the charging host. The transmitter can usually be integrated with the receiver as a transceiver. The specific transceiver can also be called a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0113] like Figure 11 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another charging terminal location determination device according to the above embodiments provided in this application. The device can be used as a charging host. The device includes a processor 611, and may also include a memory 612, a communication interface 613 and a bus 614. The processor 611, the memory 612 and the communication interface 613 are connected through the bus 614.

[0114] The processor 611 is used to control and manage the operation of the device. In one possible embodiment, the processor 611 can be used to support the device in performing relevant steps in the method embodiments and / or other technical processes described herein. The communication interface 613 is used to support the device in communication, such as supporting the device to communicate with a charging terminal. The communication interface 613 can also be referred to as a communication module.

[0115] In this embodiment, the processor 611 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The aforementioned bus 614 may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0116] When using integrated units, Figure 12A schematic diagram of a charging terminal location determination device according to the above embodiments is shown. This device implements the functions performed by the charging terminal in the above method embodiments. The device includes: a transmitting unit 701, a receiving unit 702, and a processing unit 703. The processing unit 703 is configured to support the device in performing the corresponding functions in the above method embodiments; the transmitting unit 701 and the receiving unit 702 are used to support communication between the device and the charging host or other charging terminals. All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] Based on hardware implementation, the processing unit 703 in this embodiment can be the processing circuit of the charging terminal, the transmitting unit 701 can be the transmitter of the charging terminal, and the receiving unit 702 can be the receiver of the charging terminal. The transmitter can usually be integrated with the receiver as a transceiver. The specific transceiver can also be called a communication interface or interface circuit.

[0118] like Figure 13 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of another charging terminal location determination device according to the above embodiments provided in this application. The device can be used as a charging terminal. The device includes a processor 711, and may also include a memory 712, a communication interface 713 and a bus 714. The processor 711, the memory 712 and the communication interface 713 are connected through the bus 714.

[0119] The processor 611 is used to control and manage the operation of the device. In one possible embodiment, the processor 711 can be used to support the device in performing relevant steps in the method embodiments and / or other technical processes described herein. The communication interface 713 is used to support the device in communication, such as supporting the device to communicate with a charging host or other charging terminal. The communication interface 713 can also be referred to as a communication module.

[0120] In this embodiment, the processor 711 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, etc. The aforementioned bus 714 may include an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc.

[0121] In another embodiment of this application, a charging system is provided, which includes a charging host and a plurality of charging terminals; wherein the charging host may be or include the above-mentioned Figure 10 or Figure 11 The provided apparatus is used to perform the steps of the charging host in the method embodiments described above; the charging terminal may be or include the above-described steps. Figure 12 or Figure 13 The provided apparatus is used to perform the steps of the charging terminal in the method embodiments provided above.

[0122] It is understood that all relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced in the embodiments of the charging terminal location determination device and the embodiments of the charging system, and the embodiments of this application will not be repeated here.

[0123] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0124] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0125] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. This readable storage medium may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory, random access memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product.

[0126] In another embodiment of this application, a readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer execution instructions. When the computer program or instructions are run, a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor executes the steps of the charging host in the above method embodiment.

[0127] In another embodiment of this application, a readable storage medium is also provided, which stores computer execution instructions. When the computer program or instructions are run, a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or a processor executes the steps of the charging terminal in the above method embodiment.

[0128] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, which includes computer instructions stored in a readable storage medium; at least one processor of the device can read the computer instructions from the readable storage medium, and the at least one processor executes the computer instructions to cause the device to perform the steps of the charging host in the above method embodiment.

[0129] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, which includes computer instructions stored in a readable storage medium; at least one processor of the device can read the computer instructions from the readable storage medium, and the at least one processor executes the computer instructions to cause the device to perform the steps of the charging terminal in the above method embodiment.

[0130] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a charging terminal, characterized in that, Applied to a charging host, wherein the charging host supports wireless communication or power line communication with multiple charging terminals, the method includes: Send multiple first ranging signals to the multiple charging terminals respectively; Receive multiple second ranging signals from the plurality of charging terminals, wherein each of the multiple second ranging signals corresponds one-to-one with the plurality of first ranging signals; The first location information of the plurality of charging terminals is determined based on the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals; Among the plurality of charging terminals, the first ranging signal and the second ranging signal corresponding to the same charging terminal are used to determine the first position information of the charging terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the plurality of first ranging signals and the plurality of second ranging signals, as well as the layout information of the plurality of charging terminals, the first position information of the plurality of charging terminals is determined.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The plurality of charging terminals includes a first charging terminal and a second charging terminal; the method further includes: Send indication information to the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal, the indication information being used to indicate the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal being measured.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the distance information between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal; Based on the first location information of the plurality of charging terminals and the distance information, the second location information of the plurality of charging terminals is determined.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The location information of the multiple charging terminals is associated with the device information of the multiple charging terminals.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The wireless communication method includes at least one of the following: wireless fidelity communication, Bluetooth communication, Starlight short-range wireless communication, ultra-wideband wireless carrier communication, or Purple Bee communication.

7. A method for determining the location of a charging terminal, characterized in that, Applied to a first charging terminal, wherein the first charging terminal and the charging host support wireless communication or power line communication, the method includes: Receive a first ranging signal from the charging host; Send a second ranging signal to the charging host; The first ranging signal and the second ranging signal are used to determine the first location information of the first charging terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The charging host also supports wireless communication or power line communication with the second charging terminal, and the method further includes: Receive indication information from the charging host, the indication information being used to indicate the measurement of the distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal; The distance between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal is measured according to the indicated information.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The wireless communication method includes at least one of the following: wireless fidelity communication, Bluetooth communication, Starlight short-range wireless communication, ultra-wideband wireless carrier communication, or Purple Bee communication.

10. A charging host, characterized in that, The charging host includes a processing circuit and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface and the processing circuit are used to support the charging host in performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

11. A charging terminal, characterized in that, The charging terminal includes a processing circuit and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface and the processing circuit are used to support the charging terminal in performing the method as described in any one of claims 7-9.

12. A charging system, characterized in that, The charging system includes a charging host and multiple charging terminals. The charging system is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-6, and the charging terminals are used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 7-9.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

14. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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